Talking It Out
by waiting-for-you443
Summary: Lucy Heartfilia is looking for a fresh start, and a transfer to Magnolia seems to be just what she needs. As a negotiator for the police department, she has never had an issue talking her way out of situations. But when strange things start happening, Lucy will be forced to either confront her troubled past, or lose everything she's worked to achieve.
1. Fresh Start

Today was not my day.

Which was disappointing, seeing as it had started so well. The police chief of the Acalypha Police Department had informed me that I was being transferred to Magnolia—a city I've always wanted to visit—a month prior, giving me the perfect amount of time to settle everything before leaving. I'd woken up twenty minutes before my alarm went off, feeling completely refreshed, so I was able to relax in the shower for an extra few minutes. I'd packed everything I needed the night before, so I didn't have to rush through breakfast, either. It was warm for an early September morning, and the sun felt absolutely perfect on my skin. The line to board my train for Hargeon was short and quick, and I scored a window seat. No one sat in the seats around me, which meant I could pop my headphones in and read without the fear of being interrupted. Today started out perfect.

And then my train stopped in Hargeon.

The train pulled into the station for a three-hour layover around noon, so I decided to stop into one of the cafes close by for lunch. I just had to make sure I was back on my train by three. Setting an alarm on my phone, I grabbed my bag and set off in search of food. Hargeon was a port town, and was a bustling one at that. I weaved my way through the crowd, scrutinizing the menus on display outside the cafes, when I heard screaming. My head snapped up, my hand twitching to the gun hidden in my purse. When more voices joined the first, I relaxed. No one was in danger. It was just a gaggle of excited high school girls. Curiosity piqued, I adjusted my grip on my purse and made my way to the abnormally large crowd.

Turned out it wasn't just high schoolers, like I'd originally thought. There were women of all ages gathered together, whispering excitedly to each other and craning their necks to get a better look. I cleared my throat to get the attention of the woman closest to me. She flipped around, revealing a young face that couldn't have been older than eighteen.

"I'm sorry to startle you, I was just wondering what's going on?" I gestured vaguely in front of us. Her eyes widened.

"You mean you haven't heard? Bora's in town!" the woman squealed, causing me to wince slightly. Her voice was high, sounded slightly condescending, and her words carried slightly at the end of her sentences. Valley Girl. I could do Valley Girl. I raised a brow, popping my hip slightly and crossing my arms.

"Who?" I asked. Her eyes got wider, if that was possible.

"You're not from around here, are you?" I shook my head, widening my eyes slightly to encourage her to continue. "Bora's the mayor's only son. He went to _Harvard_ , and became a _lawyer_."

"Like Elle?" I said, careful not to overdo it with the accent. Too much, and she would think I was making fun of her, ending the conversation. Though, if I was being honest, the _Legally Blonde_ reference was a gamble as well.

"Yes! He even takes murder cases. Isn't that so cool?"

"Super cool," I answered, about to be on my way. That is, until I heard another voice, the tone of this one very familiar.

"You dick!" a woman shrieked, causing some of the others to gasp. One younger voice screamed—this one full of terror—and I felt my blood run cold. That kind of scream only meant one thing: someone had a weapon, most likely a gun. I started shoving my way through the crowd, only to be checked by someone's shoulder. The hit was strong enough to send me right into the dirt. Scrambling to get to my feet, I only barely caught a glimpse of pink before a male voice cut through the sounds of panic.

"All right, let's all try and calm down. What's going on?" the man said, raising his voice to be heard over the crowd. I flinched. He'd made two rookie mistakes in under as many minutes: 1) never raise your voice when someone with a gun is as upset as that woman sounded, and 2) _never_ tell someone who is upset to calm down. That is the fastest way to escalate a situation.

"What are you waiting for?! Take her out!" another male voice—Bora, I assumed—demanded. Did Mystery Man have a gun, too?! I started shoving through the crowd faster, using the other women to propel myself forward. When I finally reached the inner edge of the circle, I was…surprised to say the least. In the middle of the crowd were three people, two men and one woman. The woman held a gun, finger hovering over the trigger, right at a man with dark hair and a tattoo that curled around the right side of his face. In a moment of pure ADHD, I wondered how the hell he got any work as a lawyer with that gaudy tattoo, but shook the thought away just as quickly. It didn't matter.

The second man stood cool as a cucumber, his posture relaxed and his hands in the pockets of his jeans. He wore a white scarf, which I found odd for how warm it was, over a t-shirt, but that wasn't what really caught my attention. It wasn't his shock of rose-colored hair, either. No, what caught my eye was the shield hanging from around his neck. He was a cop.

I knew that there were already too many people involved in the situation, and that if I intervened now I'd only make it worse, so I forced myself to wait and watch how things played out. My heart pounded in my chest, and my blood rushed in my ears. I could resolve this entire situation in minutes, but bit my lip hard. Wait, Lucy. Let him handle it.

It was then that I realized that all three parties had been quiet for too long. I watched the cop, silently urging him to say something— _anything_. As if he'd heard my frantic thoughts, he opened his mouth again.

"Look, there may be a way for everyone to leave happy today, but I need to know what's going on. Miss Murder, why don't you go first?" the cop said smoothly, not moving a muscle. I had to physically restrain myself from face-palming. Instead, I nudged the woman next to me.

"Has anyone called the police yet?" I whispered, keeping my tone even. The woman turned terrified eyes on me.

"I thought that was why he was here!" she told me, gesturing to the pink-haired man. From the entrance he made, I would assume that his involvement had been just as spontaneous as mine would've been. I took a deep breath to keep me grounded.

"Call 911, just to make sure they know what's going on," I said, gesturing to her phone. She watched me for a long moment before she jolted, then nodded, stepping back a few steps to make the call. By the time I returned my attention to the situation at hand, the woman was deep into a tale of love found and lost.

"—and then, in the morning, he was gone! Not even a note to tell me where he'd gone! So I thought, 'he's just going to get breakfast. It's fine.' But it wasn't fine!" the woman wailed, waving the gun haphazardly around. I tensed, and saw a bead of sweat roll down the back of the cop's neck. So he wasn't as calm as he put on.

"Why wasn't it fine?" the cop prompted. He hadn't even so much as shifted his weight through the entire exchange. He was too tense. If he didn't start to hide it better, the situation could go south, quick.

"He didn't come back!" the woman screeched, causing Pinky to flinch, his face contorted. She must've seen it, too, because her face turned red, then crumpled. Oh no. No no no no. This was bad. She put both hands on the gun, turning on the cop this time. He immediately pulled his hands from his pockets and put them in the air. "And you're just as bad! Men are all the same!"

"You are so right!" I called out, stepping out of the group of shocked women. Pinky's eyes locked on me, and I could see panic start to rise. He was losing control of the situation—I internally rolled my eyes. Like he had control to begin with.

"I…I am?" the woman whimpered, looking confused. "I mean, I am!" she corrected.

"He hurt you. He made you feel special, then screwed you and left you! And you have a right to be upset about that," I continued, ignoring the looks I was receiving from both men. I felt the crowd shift behind me and knew it was time to shift gears. I wasn't there to incite a riot. "But that doesn't mean you should kill him."

"It doesn't?" the woman asked, sounding unsure. She shook her head and raised the gun higher, pointing it right at Pinky's forehead.

"No, it doesn't," I repeated, keeping my voice low and calm. "Sure, he hurt you, but really think about what you're doing. You are a smart, successful woman, and you worked your ass off to get there. Do you really want to throw all of that away over one asshole who didn't call you back?"

The woman looked unsure, tugging slightly on her blazer. Her nylons were running in some places, but her crisp skirt and blazer were immaculate. She was too far away from either me or Pinky for us to disarm her, so I took a small step forward, my hands where she could see them.

"I agree with you. Bora is an ass, but he's not worth losing your life over. If you pull that trigger right now, all of that hard work you've done will be for nothing. Hey, look at me," she raised her eyes to mine. "He'll get what's coming to him. Karma has a way of biting us in the ass. Don't take it upon yourself to deal that out. Look at the man you're pointing your gun at."

She turned her attention back to Pinky and gasped, glancing frantically between him and the gun in her hands. "Have you ever met that man before?"

She shook her head.

"Neither have I, but I can tell you one thing; he wants to make sure you're safe just as much as I do. Wanna know how I know that?"

She nodded.

"He's armed, and he hasn't reached for his gun once. Not even when you were talking to me. He doesn't want to hurt you, and you almost killed him for that. Hand me the gun," I urged, taking another step. I was almost close enough to grab it. Just a little further.

I could feel Pinky's eyes on me, probably trying to get my attention, but I refused to take my eyes off the distraught woman. The gun was within reach now, but she still had her finger on the trigger. I took a deep breath.

"Hand me the gun," I repeated softly, careful to keep all desperation out of my voice. She turned back to me, her eyes dull. She was giving up, but I refused to celebrate just yet. People who had given up were notoriously unpredictable. I couldn't promise she wouldn't turn the gun on herself.

"I'm pregnant," she said suddenly, looking down at the gun. "And now I'm going to go to jail, and I'll never see my baby."

"You don't know that," I soothed, resting my hand over the top of the gun. "You haven't hurt anyone yet. Things can still work out. Give me the gun, and we can work something out. I promise, I'll make sure you get help to work it out. Please."

The woman held my gaze for a few moments longer, before she closed her eyes and offered the gun to me. I took it, disarmed it, and stepped back for Pinky to cuff her. Just as he was reading her her Miranda Rights, the local authorities pulled up. He passed her off to the local authorities, then turned blazing hazel eyes on me.

"I don't know who the hell you think you are—" he began, voice full of fury, but I cut him off by shoving my shield into his face.

"Lucy Heartfilia, APD. Or well, I was. I've been transferred to the Magnolia Police Department. I apologize for not identifying myself earlier, but I felt it would have escalated the situation more than necessary," I explained, handing a local officer the disarmed gun. Pinky had relaxed slightly at the sight of my badge, though he still looked miffed.

"You should've stayed out of it. Your 'help' coulda gotten me shot. I had it under control—"

"Under control?" I interrupted again, incredulous. "Not once, during that entire exchange, did you actually have anything 'under control.' And _I_ didn't almost get you shot; you were doing a fine job of that all on your own." I raised my nose in the air in indignation. "If it hadn't been for _me_ , she would've put a bullet right between your eyes, shot Mike Tyson over there, and then would've been taken down by local law enforcement. Three lives would've been lost needlessly. I saved your life, asshole!"

Pinky looked surprised at my sudden outburst, lifting an eyebrow, his eyes unreadable. He opened his mouth to retort, but was cut off by a local officer.

"We're gonna need both of you to come with us. You're both out of your jurisdiction," she said, taking a step toward us. Pinky swore under his breath, grabbed my hand, and took off toward the train station.

"What are you doing? They just needed to talk to us!" I demanded, stumbling in my desperate attempt to keep up with him. Another bead of sweat rolled down his neck. So, he had a tendency to sweat when he was uncomfortable. I filed the information away for later.

"I really can't afford to be taken in by the locals again. Gramps said he'd kill me if it happened again," Pinky explained, his pace never faltering.

"That doesn't explain why you had to take me with you!"

"You said you were transferring to Magnolia, yeah?" he asked, throwing a bright smile over his shoulder at me. "So, let's go! Name's Natsu Dragneel, MPD."

Maybe it was the adrenaline from the situation I'd just defused, or maybe it was his easy-going smile...warmth filled me, and a laughed bubbled up as I squeezed his hand in mine, laughing as we ran through the doors into the station. Watching the man light up as he chatted with the clerk behind the booth as he retrieved his ticket, I couldn't stop the smile that crossed my face.

Natsu Dragneel, huh?

With a smile like that in my life, maybe my day wasn't such a bust after all.

* * *

 **Damn, Daniel. Back at it again with the Cop!au. I have a weakness for them, ok?**

 **So, I do want to clear something up before moving forward:** **This does not take place in the same universe as my last story. I just have thing for cop!Natsu and it fit with what I am trying to accomplish, so I rolled with it. There are still a few things I want to play around with in regards to _Begin Again_ , so y'all may see more from that universe in the future, but I make no promises. I'm not 100% sold on the little project I'm formulating for that quite yet.**

 **As always, I'm a busy lady and as such, can promise no update schedule. I just started my second(?) year of grad school, am working on my thesis, and am currently looking for a full-time job. I can promise not to abandon this story, though, so if you guys like it (and even if you don't) I will continue to work on it. Just know that the more stressed out I am, the faster y'all will get the next chapter. haha.**

 **I hope you guys liked this little introduction, along with the cliched "recreate the first episode" meeting between Natsu and Lucy, and I really look forward to hearing what you guys think.**


	2. Settling In

Through Natsu Dragneel, I quickly learned not to judge a book by its cover.

"There is no way that actually worked," I demanded incredulously, eyebrows rising right into my hairline. He had to be making that up.

"I shit you not. Dude had a gun to my head, ready to pull the trigger, and I convinced him not to using my epic knowledge of Disney movies. Specifically, Disney princess movies. His favorite was Sleeping Beauty. Never thought I'd see the day the phrase 'What would Princess Aurora do?' would save my life, but it really happened," Natsu claimed, laughing. I shook my head, my own giggles bubbling up. I had some pretty silly stories, but that one blew them all out of the water.

"I can honestly say that my knowledge of children's animated movies has never saved my life, but I'll definitely pay more attention when watching them from now on!" I told him between laughs, trying to catch my breath. His grin widened.

"See that you do."

"Next stop: Magnolia Station. All passengers disembarking at this station, please have your luggage ready," a disembodied voice announced, gaining both of our attention. Natsu shifted, standing to collect his backpack and my suitcase from the compartment above us. I thanked him as he handed it to me.

As the train pulled into the station, we unloaded onto the platform amid a mass of other weary travelers, still casually chatting. If there was one thing to notice about Natsu Dragneel upon meeting him, it was that he liked to talk; which suited me just fine. Conversations with the detective were proving to never be dull, and it would be nice to have a friend when I got to the precinct.

As we exited the station onto the street, I got my first good look at Magnolia. The city was smaller than Crocus, the capital, but larger than both Hargeon and Acalypha. Businessmen rushed up and down the streets, barking commands into cell phones pressed tight to their ears. Mothers and fathers pulled excited and fussy children by the hand, just trying to maintain their sanity until they made it from point A to point B. Store owners greeted customers with smiles and pleasantries, asking about grandmothers who had been sick and possible job promotions, and actually listening to the answers. All in all, my first impression of Magnolia was a positive one, and I couldn't wait to integrate myself into the fold.

My observation was cut short by a throat being cleared beside me.

"So, would you like me to walk you to the precinct? I'm on my way there myself, so it's no trouble," Natsu offered, pulling on his scarf slightly. The motion seemed unconscious; must've been a nervous habit.

"I was actually going to stop by my apartment first—make sure everything got there okay, and drop off my bag. But I'll definitely catch up with you later," I said, smiling apologetically. His face dropped for only a split second before he smiled at me again, taking off down the street.

"I'll see you later, then!" he called over his shoulder, disappearing into the crowd. I smiled fondly, shaking my head slightly as I pulled out my phone to pull up the address. According to the map, it would take me about thirty minutes to get there from the train station, so I shrugged and decided to walk. It was warming up, making it a pretty nice day. After seeing all of the other nice people in the town, I had high hopes for my landlady. If she lived here, she had to be a warm, caring individual, right?

* * *

And…I was wrong.

That woman was the devil. First, she was angry because I was "late" (I checked my phone—I was twenty minutes early!) for my appointment to meet her. Then, she bitched about how long it took the movers to move all my furniture in the previous day. After that, she eyed my low-cut sweater and skinny jeans with an air of disdain. I kept my best smile on my face—be strong, Lucy. You can do this—and apologized for running late, thanked her for supervising the movers, and subtly pulled my sweater up a little, covering more of my cleavage. After about an hour she seemed satisfied, reminding me that I was contractually obligated to have my rent paid on time or I would be out on the streets. I nodded in understanding, flashing her one more smile before closing the door behind her.

With the door shut, I let the scowl that had been threatening to mar my face fall into place, leaning against the door and glaring at it over my shoulder. Closing my eyes, I counted to ten and reminded myself why I chose this specific apartment building. It was well-lit, on the nicer part of town, and within walking distance from the precinct. While I didn't personally have a car, I had a license, so I could just drive a patrol car if need be. The city had a highly-rated public transportation system, so if I wasn't on my way to a call, I could just take the bus or the subway to get where I needed to go.

Heaving a calming sigh, I pushed myself off the door to explore my new place of residence. I didn't have much time, since I promised Captain Dreyer that I would stop by the precinct to meet my negotiation team today, but I still had a few minutes. It was a standard one bed/one bath with a full kitchen. I had my own washing machine and dryer, so I wouldn't have to use the laundromat down the street. My room was spacious, and my walk-in closet was huge. I smiled as I twirled around in it for a moment, leaving my suitcase in there to be unpacked later. After a quick stop in the on-suite bathroom, I threw my shoes back on and headed for the Magnolia Police Department.

The walk there was gorgeous. Running through the town was a crystal-clear canal, gondolas drifting in both directions. The men running the gondolas looked at me with interest, smiling and greeting me when I waved. The walk was relatively short, only taking me about fifteen minutes, but I spent another ten just standing outside of the building, staring up at the doors. My stomach twisted uncomfortably as I prepared myself to walk in. This was nothing new. I knew what I was doing, and was damn good at my job. I had already met Captain Dreyer. I had no reason to be nervous.

For some reason, that thought made my nerves even worse.

"How long are you gonna stand there staring off into space, ya weirdo?" a familiar voice asked. I rounded on him, shooting him an unamused look.

"I'm not 'staring off into space,'" I sniffed, crossing my arms. "I was…psyching myself up."

"For?" Natsu prompted, not bothering to hide his grin, looking much too entertained for my liking. I took a deep breath, nerves coming back for round two. Before I could answer, Natsu sighed.

"I get it. New place, you don't really know anybody. It'd be enough to freak anyone out. Here, lemme help you out a little."

I was about to ask how exactly he was going to help, when he lifted his leg and literally _kicked_ the door open.

"I'm back!" he shouted, tromping into the room. His swagger faltered slightly when a voice called his name.

"Damn it, Natsu! Stop kicking the door open! We can't afford to fix another one!" a small man demanded, stomping right up to the pink-haired detective. Natsu cowered slightly. The scene would've been funny—the man was no younger than eighty years old and no taller than four feet, compared to Natsu's six feet, give or take—had the man not made up for his small stature with an intimidating air. I didn't know him that well, but even I understood that you don't talk back to Captain Dreyer.

"Sorry, Gramps," Natsu mumbled, scuffing his foot on the linoleum floor. It was…oddly adorable, and I had to smother another fond smile. Dreyer glanced over at me, noticing me for the first time, and chuckled lowly.

"While I understand wanting to show off for a pretty girl, there is a time and a place, son," he reminded him warmly. Natsu's face pinked slightly.

"That's not-! I wasn't-!" he sputtered, waving his hands around wildly. I swallowed a giggle as Captain Makarov Dreyer came to stand in front of me.

"Crisis Negotiator Lucy Heartfilia, sir," I introduced myself, offering my hand for him to shake. He did so, surprising me with his firm grip. He was strong for such an old man.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Heartfilia. I see you've met Detective Dragneel. He'll be your partner, starting today," Dreyer informed me, gesturing to Natsu, who shot us both an excited grin.

"Sweet!" he hissed with a fist pump.

"I'm looking forward to working with you," I chuckled, offering him my hand as well. He shook it with much enthusiasm.

"Who else is on our team, Gramps?" Natsu asked, turning away from me. I gave Dreyer my full attention, curious to know as well.

"You'll round out your team with Levy McGarden." Natsu smiled at that, clearly pleased with the final addition to our team. Dreyer turned back to me. "She should be down in data entry right now. Why don't you stop by and introduce yourself?"

"No need for tha', Cap'n. I'm right here," a female voice cut in. It took me a moment to place her accent.

"Sup, Lucky?" Natsu greeted, only to double over in pain, holding his shin.

"You know as well as anyone else tha' callin' me tha' is offensive, Natsu," the woman scolded, crossing her arms. Irish. Her accent was distinctly Irish. The nickname suddenly made sense to me. Lucky the Leprechaun. I supposed the nickname was fitting, as the woman stood barely a foot taller than Captain Dreyer. Her curly blue hair was pulled back by a bandana, pulled out of her face and away from red-rimmed glasses. Natsu rubbed his abused leg and muttered an apology, gingerly placing his weight back on the foot. I rolled my eyes. Drama queen.

"It's very nice to meet you, Miss McGarden," I greeted her, swallowing my laughs at the pout on Natsu's face. I offered her a handshake. "I suppose you'll be my informant?"

"Righ' you are! I'll be tha' li'l voice in yer ear, tellin' ya whatever it is ya need ta know. If you have any questions or the like, please don' hesitate to ask. I'll be down the stairs if ya need me," Levy promised. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a date with a wizard and his noble steed."

"You wouldn't happen to be reading Kemu Zaleon's new book, would you?" I asked tentatively. Levy's eyes lit up.

"You mean _Daybreak_? O' course! Are you a fan o' Zaleon?" she shot back, practically vibrating with excitement. My eyes lit up.

"I've read every single one of his books, except that one. Is it any good? I've heard it's gotten mixed reviews."

"It's kinda hit or miss, ta be honest. Most folk don' like it 'cause their only readin' it on the surface level. Ya gotta dig deeper to get to the real story," Levy explained. She must've seen the curious look in my eye, because she followed up with, "I'm almos' done with it, if ya wanna borrow it?"

"Really, you'd loan it to me?" I asked, grabbing her hands in excitement. She smiled and nodded. "Oh, I would love that! I can't wait!"

"Sorry to break up the party, ladies, but there is still work that needs to be done. Meet back here tomorrow morning, and we'll run some exercises, just to make sure you all know what you're doing. For now, why don't you take a look around, Lucy? I'm sure Natsu wouldn't mind escorting you?" Makarov cut in, giving Natsu a sly smile. The man in question actively avoided his gaze, instead turning to me. He opened his mouth, but was cut off by another female voice.

"I'm sure he wouldn't, especially since it would get him out of paperwork," a scarlet-haired woman said, shooting Natsu a glare. He gulped, sweat rolling down his neck.

"Sorry Lucy, but I can't show you around. I'd love to, but can't. Gottagoseeyalater!" Natsu stumbled past, making his way to his desk. He immediately booted up his computer, casting glances over at us every few seconds. I raised an eyebrow at his odd behavior, but shrugged and moved on.

"I'm sorry, it seems like we haven't been properly introduced. Are you new?" the woman asked me, her eyes sharp but curious.

"Ah, yes. My name is Lucy Heartfilia, I'm the new crisis negotiator," I explained, going in for yet another handshake. I had expected to have to introduce myself multiple times today.

"Lieutenant Erza Scarlet," the woman introduced herself. She grabbed my hand in such a tight grip, I was convinced she may have fractured a few bones. Wincing slightly, I tried to shake my hand out as discretely as possible. "Since your new partner is busy, I would be more than happy to show you around."

"That sounds great," I said, casting one more glance as Natsu as we left the room. His eyes caught mine and he shot me a reassuring smile, before turning back to his computer. Taking a deep breath in and relaxing my shoulders, I followed Lieutenant Scarlet out of the office and started my first tour of what would be home for a while.

The precinct was amazing.

It was huge; four stories tall, complete with a morgue, holding cells, and an entire floor devoted to evidence and files. Erza was surprisingly friendly, explaining how things were done and introducing a few of the other employees to me. Civilian Freed Justine worked filing and data entry down in what they called "The Library" with Levy, though he was frequently loaned out to the courthouse for clerk assistance. Beat cop Gajeel Redfox, also inexplicably down in The Library, barely gave me a passing glance. He was too busy pouring over a file, making his presence known only to ask for Levy's opinion. The slight pink in Levy's cheeks was hard to miss, so I guess there might be an explanation for his presence, after all.

As I trudged back up the stairs to my apartment (fourth floor, no elevator. What can I say? Sacrifices had to be made for a location this great), my feet aching and head pounding slightly, I couldn't stop the small smile the crept across my face. Everyone I had met today had been interesting, to say the least. Levy McGarden was a certified genius with excellent taste in books, and we seemed to get along just fine. Tomorrow's training would tell whether we worked well together or not, but I had high hopes. Erza Scarlet was…intense, but seemed reliable. She had left me with the promise that I could come to her if I had any issues, which I appreciated.

Natsu Dragneel was a character, that was for sure. He was silly—he was probably the class clown back in school—but if my encounter with him in Hargeon had proved anything to me, it was that he could be serious when he needed to be. Getting him to actually fill out his paperwork might be a challenge, but that wasn't exactly a deal breaker for me. My previous partner had flat-out refused to do paperwork at all, leaving me to do all of it. I didn't think I'd have a repeat of that awful situation, even if I might have to threaten Natsu in order to get his stuff done.

As I sank into my bed for the night, tired and achy from a long day, I sighed in contentment. Yes, I was pretty positive that things were finally looking up. Too bad I had no idea that the other shoe was about to drop, and it would drop hard.

* * *

 **I'm alive! Sorry this chapter took so long to get to you guys. My beta was out of town, and didn't have time to review it. Chapter 3 should be up by tomorrow, since she's getting caught up, so you guys get a double update this week!**

 **So, I was writing this chapter and was planning on introducing Levy, and I was like, "How can I make this more interesting?" Thus, Irish!Levy was born. Her last name is "McGarden" for god's sake. I am not ashamed to admit that I googled "Irish accent pronunciation" for reference. I am ashamed to admit, however, that Levy now sounds like Jacksepticeye in my head. Sorry not sorry. Her dialogue is definitely fun to write, though I now walk a fine, fine line between "Irish" and "pirate." This is what Yaruhi (my beta) is here for.  
**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, and are looking forward to the next one. A special thanks to everyone who bravely favorited, followed, and reviewed the first chapter, y'all are the real MVPs.**

 **Finally, I wanted to let everyone who has been in the path of the hurricanes that are tearing up the eastern half of my country right now know that you are in my thoughts, and I hope you and your loved ones are safe and sound. Same goes for those who are suffering through the fires burning the entire western half.**


	3. Ice Breakers and Field Experience

Walking into the precinct the next day was certainly an experience.

I was expecting everything to be quiet; subdued, almost. It was fairly early—around seven—so I assumed that the night shift would've been just switching with the day shift. In Acalypha, seven in the morning was almost a witching hour. Most of the night shift had already left for the day, and those who were still around were doing paperwork. The phones almost never rang at seven in the morning, and I could sit at my desk, unload my box of personals, and enjoy a quiet cup of coffee while I finished up whatever paperwork I hadn't the night before.

Not at the MPD.

I opened the door and was immediately assaulted by an arsenal of sounds. People were yelling, laughing, and running from place to place. Paperwork was strewn about haphazardly, spilling off of desks and falling off of chairs. The phones were constantly ringing; the moment one was answered, another would start screaming somewhere else in the room. Blazers and briefcases were thrown here and there, one hanging open precariously off the edge of an exceptionally messy desk.

I took a step forward and almost ate the floor. Catching myself on the door frame and almost dropping the box in my arms, I glared down at the slick thing that almost spelled my doom, only to raise an eyebrow in confusion. Under my foot was a crumpled oxford shirt, lying abandoned on the floor. Glancing around, a shock of pink caught my eye. My partner was currently engaged in a hair-pulling contest with a shirtless, dark-haired man. Well, that solved one mystery, even if it created another. Catching my eye, Natsu flashed me a blinding smile before abandoning his fight completely, trotting over to my side.

"Sup, Luce!" he greeted, stopping at the exceptionally messy desk. Of _course_ it was his. Why wasn't I surprised?

"Good morning, Natsu," I returned the gesture, setting my box down on the offered empty desk. I glanced at the briefcase hanging over the edge of his like Mufasa. If he so much as jostled it, it would fall.

"You're here early. Wasn't expecting ya for at least another hour," Natsu said conversationally, shifting paperwork around, looking for something. One swipe across the desk too many sent the briefcase plummeting to Earth. Long live the king.

He cursed under his breath, stooping to collect what had spilled out. Shaking my head slightly, I knelt down to help. Once we had all the scattered papers pulled together, he stacked them on top of the avalanche of other papers on his desk.

"How can you find anything?" I asked, scrunching up my nose. It looked like a complete mess to me.

"It's organized chaos," he explained, then crowed in victory, holding a paper up. I couldn't help the giggle that escaped me.

"So, what have we got going today?" I asked, unpacking my box. There wasn't much—just a blue, Aquarius coffee cup, a name plate, and an old family photo—but it made my little desk feel a bit homier.

"Dunno, all Erza said was that we would be 'training' today, whatever that means." He rolled his eyes, clearing a spot in the hot mess he called a work space to make room for the paper he had found. Sticking his tongue out slightly, he began filling out what seemed to be a form of some sort.

"That doesn't sound too bad." Although I was mildly confused. In crisis negotiation, each call was different, therefore there was no real way to _prepare_. Of course, Erza could have us sitting through a lecture in order to refresh us on protocol and such. I hid a grimace, grabbing my coffee cup and gesturing to Natsu's, "Want a refill?"

He glanced up from his form, uncomprehending for a moment. Then a bright grin splashed across his face. "That'd be great. No cream, no sugar, please."

I took his mug into my other hand, eyebrows raising slightly in surprise. I didn't take him for the black coffee type. I shrugged it off as I made my way to the community pot. To each their own, I guess.

"G'mornin', Lu!" Levy greeted me from her spot, raising her own mug. I smiled back, filling Natsu's and my mugs.

"Good morning," I responded, adding what my previous partner had referred to as a "ridiculous amount" of cream and sugar to my mug. Levy refilled her cup and did the same.

"Now tha' yer here, we can finally get started on this 'trainin' Erza planned for us," she said, waving Natsu over. "We're all supposed to meet in the conference room downstairs. I'm assumin' Lu an' I'll meet you down there, huh?"

Her last question was directed at Natsu, who grabbed his coffee cup from me with a quick word of thanks. He nodded as he headed in the direction of the stairs.

"He's not taking the elevator?" I asked, following Levy over to them. She shook her head with a mischievous grin.

"Oh no," she said. "Natsu has an int'restin' relationship wit' ta lift. They aren't very friendly, if you catch me drift."

I didn't, but it didn't look like she was going to explain any further, so I shrugged and let it go.

Erza was waiting for us when we arrived in the conference room, looking over a stack of papers. Glancing up at us, she smiled when we entered the room.

"Great, you're here. Good morning, both of you. Now, all we're waiting for is Natsu. I'm guessing he took the stairs?" Erza asked, looking completely unsurprised when Levy nodded. It wasn't a moment later he sauntered into the room, his mug pressed against his lips, his other hand in his pocket.

"Morning, Erza," he greeted, taking a seat at the table. Erza nodded to acknowledge him.

"Now that you're all here, we can begin," she announced, shuffling her papers. Natsu eyed them skeptically.

"And how, exactly, are we going to be training today?" he asked. Erza's eyes were practically sparkling with excitement.

"I'm glad you asked," she said, a satisfied smile stretching across her face. She held up the papers in her hands.

"Ice breakers!" Erza cheered. I was unable to stifle my groan of displeasure. I _hated_ ice breakers. I had a Master's degree in Communication, a degree almost entirely in how people _talk to one another,_ and I hated ice breakers. There was something about being told I _had_ to talk to people that just really made me not want to do it.

My groan did not go unnoticed, as the others all had their eyes on me. Erza's stare was practically arctic.

"Is there a _problem_ , Lucy?" she asked, dangerously.

"Nope, not at all!" I squeaked, wisely keeping my mouth shut. Natsu snickered, earning him a kick to the shin under the table.

"Now that that's all sorted out, let's begin! We're going to be starting with 'Two Truths and a Lie.'"

And that's how we spent the next two hours. In that time, I learned a lot about my new team. Levy was born in Limerick, Ireland, spoke six languages fluently, and had immigrated to Fiore four years ago. She was currently living with her boyfriend, a beat cop named Gajeel Redfox—Natsu snorted when she mentioned him, but she ignored him—and their black cat Pantherlily. She had a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, but all of her 'hacking skills' (as Natsu called them) came from on-the-job experience. She had been a member of the MPD for three and a half years, straight out of the Academy, but had only worked in the Library for the last few months. We would be her first crisis team.

Natsu's prior experience was much the same. He had been a beat cop up until a few weeks ago, when he was promoted to detective. He had gone to school for a double-major in Fire Science and Criminal Justice, achieving a Bachelor's, though he said the Fire Science degree was just for fun. This would be his first crisis team as well. I didn't know how I felt about that, though with how I worked, training them from scratch might have been a good thing.

He refused to get too personal, only stating that he grew up in Magnolia and lived with his best friend—a mysterious character named "Happy"—, and got motion sick (which explained his vexation with the elevator) but that didn't bother me too much. We were coworkers, not best friends. I didn't need to know his life story.

Our "training session" was cut short by Natsu's phone going off.

"We got a call," Natsu explained, grabbing his mug and taking off for the stairs, calling over his shoulder, "C'mon Lucy, we got work to do!"

I grabbed my empty mug and followed him, Levy heading in the opposite direction, toward the Library. I was slightly out of breath when we reached the ground floor again, dropping my mug on my desk and following Natsu out into the parking lot.

The drive to the crime scene was tense with nervous excitement. It was one of my favorite parts of this job; the uncertainty, the excitement, the adrenaline. You never knew exactly what you were walking into, even as the situation was explained to you over the radio. This specific situation was pretty basic, and for that I was grateful. I'd hate to have Natsu and Levy cut their teeth on a balls-to-the-wall, no-win situation. The perp was a jilted ex-boyfriend, holding his ex-girlfriend hostage at gunpoint. I cleared my mind as Natsu weaved in and out of traffic, trying to get us to the location before things really went south. This helped me keep a calm, cool head, and allowed me to improvise quicker. The soft swear that escaped Natsu's lips alerted me that we had arrived on scene.

We were outside of Magnolia University, along with about twenty other units. Every patrol car had their lights on and flashing, as did the ambulances. Officers took cover behind their vehicles, weapons drawn and pointed at the building. Giving the building a long look as I hooked up my mike and headphones, I noticed that all of the blinds had been closed in one specific area on the second floor. That must be where the perp was holding the hostage."

"Okay, connect me to Levy in the Library," I demanded, starting slightly when I recognized the officer following out my order. It was Gajeel Redfox, and he didn't look happy. "What do we know?"

Gajeel raised an eyebrow at me.

"Guy came in, grabbed the girl, forced everyone out," he explained, as if it were obvious. I rolled my eyes.

"Not that," I snapped, patience wearing thin. "What do we know about the _perp_. What's his name? How old is he? What about the hostage?"

"His name is Samuel Straight, twenty-three years old. The hostage is twenty-year-old Milliana Nekozawa. We don't know any more than that."

"That's fine. Levy, can you hear me?" I addressed the petite woman.

"Loud and clear, Lu, what have you got?"

I repeated the information Gajeel had given me. "I'm gonna need to know how they are affiliated with the school, and each other."

"Way ahead of you," Levy interrupted me. "Samuel Straight, graduate student in Political Science at Magnolia University. In his first year of his graduate degree. That's weird…"

"What is it, Levy?" I prompted, a split second of irritation rippling through me. I swallowed it down. This was her first call, I had to be patient with her.

"I can't find any connection between Nekozawa and Straight, not even a romantic one. They have completely different interests, majors…it wouldn't surprise me if they had never met before today."

That certainly complicated things. I shook myself and soldiered on. If he didn't know her, why choose her? I looked at the building again.

"What building are they in?" I asked Natsu. When he didn't answer, I turned to him and asked again, more urgently this time. He jumped slightly before answering.

"The theatre building."

That didn't make any sense. He was a Political Science major. What was he doing in the theatre building? It was then that I noticed the people around us. Many of them were dressed in period clothing. There must've been a show going on. Nekozawa didn't have a connection to Straight—she was grabbed out of convenience.

It was then that the phone rang. From the look on Redfox's face, it was probably the perp calling. Show time.

"All right, Levy, here's how this is gonna go. From here on out, I'll have to put the perp on hold to ask for information. It's in everyone's best interest if I don't do that often, so if you come across anything—and I do mean _anything_ —that might be useful to me, you need to tell me. Got it?" I waited for Levy's confirmation before I squared my shoulders.

I nodded to Natsu, who pressed a button, and immediately my ear was flooded by what had to have been the single most pretentious voice I'd ever heard.

"How long does it take to call in a negotiator? I don't have all day," the snob sneered, causing me to bristle slightly. Covering my mouthpiece with my hand, I turned a placed a hand on Natsu's arm. He turned to me, looking apprehensive but expectant.

"I am so sorry for everything I am about to say," I murmured before taking my hand away from the mouthpiece. Purposely lowering my voice, I introduced myself.

"My name is Lucy, and I'm the negotiator—" As anticipated, I was cut off by a declaration of "What?" and a disgusted noise. Sighing in frustration, I rounded on Natsu.

"Seriously, can you get them to turn off those sirens? How many times do I have to ask before something actually gets done?" I spat. Natsu stared at me for a moment, as if unsure that it was really me speaking, and I prompted him with a snooty, "Well?" He turned to his radio, demanding that the sirens be shut off and everyone to shut up. I made a noise of disgust.

"Ugh, I shouldn't have to ask more than once. They could've at least had the decency to saddle me with a semi-competent partner," I mumbled under my breath, rubbing the bridge of my nose and ignoring Natsu's hurt look. I would apologize again later. It would most likely only get worse from here on out.

"And you are?" Straight asked, voice cool but intrigued. I smirked internally.

"My name is Lucy, I'm the negotiator for the MPD," I reintroduced myself, making sure my voice was at a decent volume this time. "It's nice to meet you, Samuel."

"You're not even going to allow me to introduce myself?" His voice was dripping with contempt.

"I'm not going to insult your intelligence. We both know I already know your name and your connection to the University. All I ask is you offer me the same consideration."

"Huh," Samuel huffed. "So, if we're not bothering with smoke and mirrors, where does that leave us? You're just here for the girl. Once I let her go, my life is forfeit and both of us know it."

"I couldn't care less about the little actress if I tried," I sneered, again ignoring the look Natsu shot me. Levy's voice buzzed in my ear, and I perked up. "You, on the other hand…"

Samuel was quiet for a moment. Patience, Lucy. Let him come to you.

"What about me?" he inquired. I didn't even try to hide my smirk this time.

"It would be a shame if something happened to you. A complete waste, if I'm being perfectly honest."

Samuel hummed in acknowledgement, most likely attempting to prompt me.

"There aren't enough great minds in the world," I continued, fluffing his ego. "If something were to happen to you…well, I don't think it would benefit anyone if you were sharing that big brain of yours with the concrete."

"I can't really share that 'big brain of mine' with the world from a prison cell, now can I?" Samuel fired back haughtily. It took every ounce of my self-control to not roll my eyes.

"Who said anything about a prison cell?" I asked, putting on a slightly sultry tone to my voice.

"Come now, Miss Lucy. I thought we agreed not to insult each other's intelligence," Samuel purred, taking the bait. I couldn't hold back a full-body shudder.

"Oh, I'm sure I could work _something_ out. I mean, it's not like you've done any real damage." It was then that it occurred to me that I hadn't heard Nekozawa the entire time I'd been talking to Straight. Panic welled up in me slightly. Was I too late?

"Off the record," I began, "what _did_ you do with the girl? She hasn't so much as whimpered this entire time."

"Oh, I locked her into a closet. The incessant whining was grating on my nerves."

My entire body sagged slightly in relief.

"See? The girl is uninjured. No harm done. I'm sure I could work something out with the Captain if you let her go," I offered, examining my nails.

"What kind of something?" he wheedled. He was trying to scent out my trap. Too bad for him, I had a failsafe.

"No jail-time. Few months' probation, and you'll be scot-free. What do you say?"

"And why would he agree to that?" Samuel asked, suspicious. Shit, he was on to me.

"Oh, I have my ways," I purred, earning a disgusted look from Natsu. My tone had gained the attention of quite a few of the surrounding officers, who were now no longer hiding their lecherous looks. This time, I did manage to suppress my shudder.

"Hmm…and you'll talk to the school? I'll be able to complete my thesis?" Samuel demanded. I hummed.

"Oh, that'll be easy."

"What do I need to do?"

"Send the girl out first—alone. Stay away from the doors and windows. Then, once she's in custody, walk out yourself, hands up. Leave the gun inside, though," I explained, crossing my arms. This was the moment of truth. Would he spring my trap, or would he avoid it?

"If I walk out there, those brutes will get rough with me. I don't care much for being tackled," Samuel pointed out. A salacious grin dripped onto my face.

"Oh, they won't do that, will you boys?" I reasoned, using my crossed arms to push my breasts up. Immediately, the officers were murmuring agreement. "See? You have nothing to lose."

"You drive a hard bargain, Miss Lucy," Samuel stated, "but you have yourself a deal."

The next few minutes were crucial. No one could move, lest they spook the perp. Firearms trained on the doors closest to us, everyone waited on bated breath as a figure came into view. Slowly, one of the doors swung open to reveal a young girl with brown hair, wearing a period dress and…cat ears? What on Earth had that play been about?

After Nekozawa was brought over to the ambulances, I saw another person advance toward the doors. Some of the officers shifted restlessly, but I held up a hand to keep them in place. Samuel Straight pushed open the same door Nekozawa had exited from, immediately raising his hands into the air. Redfox met him halfway, cuffing him and reading him his rights. He sent me a smirk and a wink as he passed, which I did not return. Unperturbed, Samuel allowed Redfox to seat him in the back of a patrol car, not putting up even an ounce of a fight. Once the car door was slammed shut, I ripped my headset off and slumped against Natsu's patrol car, finally taking a deep breath.

"We need to get back to the precinct," Natsu said shortly, brushing past me to get to the driver's seat. His attitude confused me for only a moment before I realized why he was upset.

"Natsu, wait, I didn't mean it!" I stumbled over my words, reaching out for his arm. He looked like he was contemplating shaking me off, but I continued before he got the chance. "I'm so sorry for what I said. I—I don't really think that you're incompetent, I promise! It was the best way to connect with Samuel. That's how I work—I get on the perp's level, make them think I agree with them. It keeps them calm, since they don't feel the need to explain their thought process to me. I make them feel _validated_ , which gives me an in to resolve the situation peacefully."

Natsu was looking at me with a guarded look, as if he didn't really believe me, and I whole new wave of panic filled me. Levy had done amazing from the Library, but I needed a partner I could trust out in the field with me, just in case something happened. I needed to know that he would have my back, no matter what. If _this_ was too much for him, there was no way Natsu would stick by me later. I had said and done way worse than that in order to save a life before. If he couldn't handle tonight, then I would need to find a new partner. But something inside of me told me that I didn't _want_ a new partner, that Natsu would be perfect, and I just couldn't shake that little voice.

"What did Levy say to you?" he asked, watching me carefully. I raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"Back when you first started talking to the little creep, Levy said something to you. I'm not connected to that channel, so I didn't hear it, but it changed your whole approach. What did she say?"

Oh, now I remembered. "Samuel graduated Summa Cum Laude for his Bachelor's, which is the highest form of honors you can receive. She also informed me that his thesis had been rejected. For someone as smart as him, that would've been a very low-blow. I figured that's why he was in the theatre building in the first place. The instructors that rejected him were probably here for the show, but they got out before he could stop them, so he grabbed whoever was convenient," I explained, desperately hoping it appeased him.

He stared at me for another long moment, in which I began to fidget uncomfortably.

"How about this: I buy you dinner, and answer any other questions you have. It'll be my apology for what I said about you. Sound good?" I bargained.

"I only have one more question," he said, keeping his eyes on mine. "Are you really gonna do what you said you would? Help get him off?"

"Of course not!" I squealed, indignant. "I am allowed to lie, you know. I can promise anything, as long as I get the perp to agree to a peaceful solution."

Natsu nodded, seeming appeased.

"All right, that's all I needed to hear. I will accept the dinner, however, as a token of your sincerity," he stated haughtily, lifting his nose into the air and swaggering over to his cruiser. A giggled escaped me as I climbed into the passenger seat.

"I'm glad to hear that!" I laughed, buckling up as he turned on the radio. We bickered about where to eat as we hit the road, and a voice deep inside me told me that this would probably become a regular thing.

And somehow, I was completely okay with that.

* * *

 **Holy Double-Update, Batman!**

 **So, here's chapter 3, as promised. We are now caught up, so I can't promise when the next one will be out. Hopefully this one had enough action to tide y'all over.**

 **So, originally I was gonna have Dan be the perp, but then I realized that 1) I'm way too mean to that kid. I killed him in my last story. Figured he could use a break and 2) he wasn't smart enough for what I had in mind. Thus, Samuel drew the short end of the stick. In this universe, he's Dan's younger brother. I like how this turned out much better.**

 **I can't remember if I've already requested this, but if any of you guys are actual Crisis Negotiators, or know any, hit me up! I have some limited experience in law enforcement, and I've researched the position a little, but I am obviously taking some artistic liberties with this story. Also, I need DRAMA, so shit's gonna be intense.**

 **As always, a special thanks to everyone who favorited, followed, and reviewed since the last update (you know, last night. Whatever). I want you guys to know that I read every single one, even if I don't reply, and they make my day a whole lot brighter. I love hearing what you guys think, and seeing the ideas you might have. It certainly keeps me writing.**

 **Again, as always, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I'll have the next one out to you as soon as I can.**


	4. That One Myth Where Zeus Was Chill

After four months working with the MPD, I should've been used to being woken at six AM. And don't get me wrong, I was. Just not on my day off.

I reached over and retrieved my phone, glancing at the screen as I fumbled to stop The Cab from screaming "Angel with a Shotgun" at me. Recognizing the name displayed across the top, I scowled and held it to my ear. My partner's slightly panicked voice filled my ears.

"How much do you love me?" he asked, stumbling over his words slightly breathlessly. I rolled my eyes.

"What do you want, Natsu?" I grumbled, rubbing my itchy eyes with a knuckle.

"I need help," he stated unhelpfully. I glared off to the side.

"Obviously. With what?"

"I need help cleaning my apartment."

My reaction was immediate. "No way."

"C'mon, Luce, hear me out!" he begged.

"No way," I repeated stubbornly. I'd been to his apartment. It was a pigsty. I had no idea how he and his cat survived.

"Please! I _really_ need your help!" he wheedled, adding just the right amount of whine to make a vein pop. My eyebrow twitched.

"No way in hell," I said with an air of finality. Natsu breathed out a sigh of frustration.

"We're partners, Luce. Partners help each other," he pouted, causing me to groan. Natsu, at twenty-six years of age, had apparently mastered the art of whining. I heaved a massive sigh.

"What time do I need to be there?"

He cheered, causing me to pull the phone away from my heart with another (albeit half-hearted) glare.

"Be here as soon as you can. We need to have this place ship-shape by one," he informed me.

"What," I deadpanned. I could almost _feel_ him flinch, giving me a small twinge of satisfaction.

"Please, Luce! I'll feed you," he added, almost as an afterthought. Almost.

I hated how well he knew me already.

Half an hour later, I was changed and shrugging on my coat as I pushed my way out the door. A shiver ran down my spine as I stepped out onto the street, which normally wouldn't surprise me. It was January, after all. No, what made it strange was that it was un-seasonally warm that day; to the point where I was considering running back into my apartment and dropping my coat off before leaving. Glancing around, nothing seemed out of place. My eyes scanned the area for a few more moments before I remembered that I was in a hurry. Shrugging, I continued until I was waiting impatiently at his door. The image that greeted me on the other side was not what I was expecting.

Natsu had his signature scarf wrapped around his head, pulling his hair out of his eyes. He wore a black tank top over a pair of green cargo shorts, which would've been attractive had he not been covered head to toe in dust. The trash bag he held in his hand made the perfect accessory to his "Spring Cleaning" ensemble. When he met my eyes, he gave me a bright smile.

"Thank you so much!" he greeted, dropping the bag by the door and pulling me in. "Okay, so I've gotten the kitchen and living room done so far. The guest room just needs dusting, my room needs some work, as well as the bathroom. I'll take care of that if you'll cover the guest room and help out with my room. Sound cool?"

He was still out of breath, but I realized it was out of nerves instead of over-activity. He checked his watch almost obsessively, glancing at his phone every few minutes. He was so frazzled…it was strangely adorable.

"All right, let's get to work!" I agreed, clasping his hand in mine before we separated.

The next two hours were spent dusting the guest room and changing the sheets on the bed in there. Music played through Bluetooth on his TV, giving us an upbeat soundtrack to our hard labor. Once Natsu finished in the bathroom—it was the cleanest I'd ever seen it, and it mildly startled me—we met up in his room. Two more hours of laundry, dusting, and vacuuming, and the place was spotless.

"I can't thank you enough for this," Natsu said, putting together sandwiches in his kitchen. I stood by the counter, munching on my own.

"What was the rush for this anyway? Why did your place _have_ to be spotless by one?" I nudged him. "Got a date or something?"

He glanced down at me (he stood an entire head taller, something he never seemed to let me forget), a twinkle in his eye.

"Or something." He chuckled at my intrigued look. After a moment of silence, he took a deep, calming breath. "I have an appointment with Social Services today."

My eyes widened. "Oh. I didn't realize..."

His own softened.

"Oh, she's not mine. It's the final home visit before they decide whether to let me have custody of my cousin or not," Natsu explained, taking a bite out of his sandwich. "She's been in foster care for the last two years, since her parents died. They put her with a nice family and all, but I'd like to keep her with the family." He cleared his throat.

"Anyway, thanks for coming over to help clean. I've been cleared for income and other things, stuff like what schools are around here. It's actually why I moved into the city."

"You didn't already live here?" I asked, finishing off my sandwich. I took a swig of lemonade.

"Nah, I own about twenty acres outside city limits. Built myself a house out there when I was eighteen, but it takes about forty minutes to get into town from there, and the school system around there isn't that great. So, I moved into the city and started picking up some extra hours at the precinct." He shrugged. "Long as I got Wendy, it doesn't matter where we live."

A smile slipped across my face.

"How old is Wendy?" I asked. Natsu looked up for a moment, scrunching his nose.

"She just had her twelfth birthday last month."

So, she was young. A new admiration for the man in front of me welled up in my chest. The way he spoke about his cousin…he really cared about her. There was almost a wistfulness in his voice, as if he missed her. I reached out and set a hand on his bicep.

"I'm sure the home visit is going to go great. The place looks amazing. I'll even come around and keep it that way, if it helps," I offered. His eyes widened slightly.

"You'd do that?" he asked softly, disbelief coloring his tone.

"Sure," I shrugged. "We're partners. Partners help each other."

I glanced at my phone. He had about thirty minutes until the social worker was supposed to get there.

"I'm gonna head out, so you can grab a shower before the social worker gets here. Don't give me that look, you look like a mess and you stink of bleach. Keep me posted, okay?" I requested as I slipped on my shoes, grabbed my useless coat, and moved toward the door. He smiled and agreed, waving to me as he shut the door behind me.

A smile played on my lips the whole way back to my own apartment. I decided to use the rest of my day off to pamper myself. I took a nice, long, hot shower, made myself some hot chocolate, and settled in _Daybreak_. I was learning that Levy was right; you had to look past the surface story to really enjoy it.

What seemed like minutes later, my phone went off. I smiled when I saw Natsu's name.

"Hey, you," I greeted. He offered me a bright "Hey!" back. "How did it go?"

"Won't know for sure until later, but I think I impressed her with my charming personality and stunning good looks. Anyway, we got a call. I'll be around to pick you up in ten."

* * *

How could everything have gone so wrong?

It started out as such a routine call. A couple in the middle of a custody battle over their five-year-old son. The mother, who was losing said battle, had holed herself up within her home with the boy, pointing a gun at anyone who got too close. Natsu, Levy, and I were called due to the delicate nature of the situation, and had fallen into a routine that was becoming the norm for us.

Something about this call was off, though. I'd been going back and forth with this woman for going on two hours. It was taking too long. I'd tried multiple different techniques to get her to open up to me, to release the boy, to surrender quietly. None had worked. The only saving grace I could find was that she hadn't hurt the boy yet. Redfox was getting antsy, and Natsu was having a harder and harder time buying me more time. Just when Redfox was about to pull the plug on me and storm the house himself, the front door opened.

A small boy toddled out, followed closely by his mother. What she said next stopped my heart.

"There's no point anymore."

I realized what was happening one second too late. The gunshot sounded before I could even open my mouth to warn the other officers. A scream ripped its way out of my throat and I struggled to get closer to the house. Two strong, warm arms wrapped around me, holding me tightly to a warm chest, but it only made me struggle harder. Calming words wormed their way into my ears, but I ignored them, begging Natsu to release me. I had to get over there. I could still save her. It wasn't too late. It couldn't be too late.

Natsu buried his face into the crook of my neck, tightening his arms and whispering reassurances and apologies into my skin. My wiggling slowed to a stop, and I actually started to listen to what he was saying.

"It's over, Lucy. She's gone. There's nothing we can do. She's gone."

It was too late.

My body slumped, curling into Natsu's warmth. It was then that the dam broke, tears streaming down my face as body-wracking sobs tore through me. I gripped his forearms tight, anchoring myself to him—to comfort. Officers continued to move around us—taking care of the little boy, processing the crime scene, moving vehicles out of the way—but Natsu and I stayed where we were, crumpled on the ground. I was barely aware of the words dropping from my lips, but I knew what they would be.

"I'm sorry."

I'm sorry I was too late. I'm sorry I couldn't save her. I'm sorry I said the wrong thing, in the wrong tone, at the wrong volume. I'm sorry I failed.

When I managed to calm myself down, I requested Natsu take me back to the precinct. He tried to argue with me, but I insisted. I needed to write up the report, needed to be doing something productive. I couldn't shut down yet. I still had work to do.

The report was fairly short, considering—the negotiation may have lasted over two hours, but the actual conversations weren't long—so when Natsu went to fill his coffee cup, I slipped out, leaving a note on his desk. I needed to be alone. Popping in my headphones, I made my way home, fully intending to follow my normal routine for situations like this. The moment I shut and locked the front door, I made a beeline for my bedroom, leaving a trail of clothes behind me. I re-emerged a moment later, dressed in baggy sweatpants and a tank top, my hair piled high on my head in a messy bun. My bare feet brushed the wood floors as I floated into the kitchen, stretching up onto my tip toes for the bottle of Moscato I kept on top of the fridge. Forgoing a glass, I pressed my back against the appliance and slid to the floor, twisting the cork a few times before pulling it out. I took a swig of the wine before a sob bubbled up out of my chest again. Pulling my legs up, I buried my head on my knees, covering it with one hand while the other held the neck of the bottle firmly. Then, I let go.

* * *

I woke to a pounding on my front door. Groggily, I dragged myself up off the floor and onto the kitchen counter, before pushing myself off of it to answer the door.

"I'm coming!" I snapped, rubbing my forehead. "Keep your shirt on, Jesus Christ."

Glancing through the peephole, I let out a groan as I unlocked the door.

"What do you need, Natsu?"

Said man glanced over me critically, taking stock of my condition. Sighing, I moved out of the way and let him in, shutting the door behind him.

"I just wanted to come see you. How are you holding up?" Natsu answered, placing a gentle hand on my bicep. I shrugged.

"I'm all right," I said as he looked past me, into the kitchen. He stepped away, lifting something off the ground.

"All right, huh," he deadpanned, holding the wine bottle up for me to see and lifting a pink eyebrow. I heaved a heavy sigh.

"I took a swig or two, but I didn't get drunk or anything. It's fine. Now, if you came here to criticize my unhealthy coping mechanisms, the door is over there."

"Yeah, you need to get out of here," he said, voice full of conviction. He tossed me a jacket I had left hanging off the back of one of my dining room chairs. "Put this on and let's go."

"Where are we going?" I asked, slipping my arms through the sleeves and sliding my feet into a pair of flip flops. "And what time is it?"

"On an adventure, and it's two AM," Natsu said over his shoulder, grabbing my hand and pulling me along with him. I stumbled a little on my way over the threshold, but Natsu paused to let me regain my footing and lock up. Then we were off again.

"An adventure" turned out to be a forty-minute ride in his pick-up to the outskirts of town. After we drove down what seemed like an endless maze of dirt roads, Natsu pulled off into a clearing, cutting the engine and throwing me an easy grin as he slid out of the cabin. Taking my cues from him, I got out, too.

"Okay, so you got me here. Where's the adventure?" I snarked, crossing my arms over my chest for warmth. Natsu wordlessly pointed upward. What I found when I followed his finger took my breath away.

Stars. Hundreds of thousands of them. Out in the clearing, there was very little light pollution, so you could even see the milky way. A gasp escaped me as I continued to stare, tracing long-remembered constellations as warm hands gripped my biceps and led me backward. Those same hands wrapped around my waist, lifting me onto the front of the truck, which bounced a little as Natsu joined me. Awestruck, I leaned back until my back rested against the windshield, pulling my knees up to keep me from sliding off the truck. Natsu settled in beside me, scooting closer for warmth. I opened my mouth to say something—anything—but he beat me to it.

"You mentioned before that your mom was an astronomer, and I noticed that you always wear star earrings, so I thought you might enjoy the view. After today, I thought you might appreciate a little bit of the beauty the world has to offer," Natsu explained, burying his nose into his scarf. I was speechless. He'd been paying that close attention? Turning my eyes back to the sky, I realized that this was _exactly_ what I needed after today. _I_ needed to be reminded why life was worth fighting for. Natsu was still tense beside me, and I couldn't stop the small smile that slid onto my face. Raising an arm, I pointed at the sky.

"See that small group of stars over there, the ones that look kind of like a really small bucket?" I prompted, startling him. He tilted his head, his eyes scanning for whatever I was pointing at. He scooted a little closer, resting so his head lightly touched mine.

"Kinda," he said uncertainly, scrunching up his nose.

"That's the Pleiades. They were the seven titan daughters of Atlas. You know, the titan who held up the sky? Well, when Atlas was sentenced to that fate, Orion began to pursue the Pleiades," I explained. Natsu's eyes lit up with recognition.

"Hey, isn't he a constellation, too?" he asked, catching my gaze with his. I felt a small fluttering in my stomach that I ignored.

"Yep. Anyway, the Pleiades were super not interested, and were really upset over losing their father, so they committed suicide. Zeus turned them into stars so they could be with their father again."

"Hey, a myth where Zeus _wasn't_ a total bag of dicks. That's new," Natsu quipped, drawing a giggle out of me.

"Yeah, those are few and far between. Those, and the ones where he can _keep it in his pants_."

This caused a burst of laughter from Natsu, who then made another witty comment, which made me laugh, and soon we were trying not to roll off the truck in fits of giggles. Once we calmed down, I began to point out other constellations, telling their stories the same way my mother told them to me when I was young. We spent the rest of the night out there, laying close to each other with only the stars as our witness, and nothing else mattered. Not custody battles or paperwork or suicidal perpetrators. It was just me, Natsu, and the stars, and for the first time in a long time, I felt like I was home.

* * *

 **Oh god, you guys. I'm so sorry this took so long! It's been half-written on my computer for like, two weeks. School has been kicking my ass and y'all know how it goes.**

 **So, I just got back from wedding dress shopping for my sister and you guys, she found the perfect dress! It has been a long-ass day, so forgive me for a shorter AN, though I know y'all don't really read 'em anyways. ;P**

 **Final note: the custody thing! So, I really like the fic "Big Sister Lucy" by Kayla the kawaii gurl (dudes, go find it and read it, it's awesome), and "A Coffee a Day, Takes My Heart Away" by Thyfreshprincess (read ALL of her things, she's amazing) and any other fic that involves Natsu and Wendy being related and living together, so I threw it in, too. Not a huge thing, but I really like the trope, so whatevs.**

 **As always, I appreciate everyone who has taken the time to favorite, follow, and review this story since the last update. I know updates for this one are few and far between, but y'all have no idea how much it means to me that y'all are sticking with me. Again, as always, I'll try and have the next chapter to you guys as soon as possible.**


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